The Israeli army struck several targets across Lebanon on Tuesday killing at least 23 Lebanese, including nine members of one family, raising the death toll to more than 220 Lebanese, the vast majority of them are civilians.
The Qatar based Al Jazeera TV reported that the Israeli army shelled several areas north and east of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, killing nine civilians, all of them from one family, including children.
The nine family members were killed, and four were injured, when an Israeli air strike destroyed a house in Aitarun village, south of Lebanon. Four other Lebanese died in separate attacks elsewhere in the south.
At least 23 people have been killed in the latest air strikes by Israeli warplanes in Lebanon, raising the toll there to more than 220.
In a separate attack, the Israeli army struck a Lebanese army barracks at Jumhur area, east of Beirut, killing10 Lebanese soldiers and wounding 30.
The Qatar based Al Jazeera Television reported that Israeli troops shelled targets around Zahle town, a mainly Christian town in central Lebanon, and fired shells at ambulances on nearby roads.
The ongoing Israeli assault in Lebanon has so far claimed that lives of 220 people, 106 of them are civilians. The attacks also targeted ports, roads, bridges, factories and petrol stations.
Meanwhile, Israeli army deputy chief, Major General Moshe Kaplansky, said that the war on Lebanon will end within two weeks. The statements of Kaplansky came during an interview with the Israeli army Radio.
Despite the fact that the vast majority of the casualties are civilians, Kaplansky said that “Israel needs time to complete its clear goals”. He added that “the war against terror needs to be very accurate, very schematic and requires time”.
Kaplansky also stated the Hezbollah owns different types of rockets that is capable of hitting the north of Israel. He also said that ground invasion into Lebanon had been considered.
“ground offensive is not ruled out”, Kaplansky stated, “currently we don not think we will do that, but if we have to do it, we will”.
Tuesday attack also targeted suburbs, south of Beirut, the city of Tripoli in the north, and two army post in Junhur and Kafer Shima area.
The Lebanese police reported on Tuesday that the Israeli raids targeted the Christian coastal town of Byblos north of Beirut damaged two trucks without inflicting casualties, police said.
Warplanes also hit the eastern town of Baalbek town.
In return to the ongoing attacks, Hezbollah gunmen fired dozens of rockets at the Israeli city of Haifa on Monday, and medics said a three-story building collapsed, wounding two people. Israel closed Haifa’s port.
Hezbollah also fired rockets at Afula, 50 km south of the border, and Safad town, at least five Israelis wee injured.
Rockets fired by Hezbollah have killed 24 Israelis so far, twelve of them were civilians.
On Monday, Fifty-three Lebanese civilians were killed in 70 Israel Air Force strikes as the Israeli army continued its offensive on Lebanon. On Monday night, 210 Lebanese were killed in six days.
